Attachment for bath-tubs.



L. R. SEIB.

ATTACHMENT TUR BATH TuBs.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12,1914.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

coLumnlA PLANOGRAPH :20..WASHING10NY u, c.

LEE SEIB, OF HOUSTQN, TEXAS.

ATTACHMENT FOR BATH-TUBE.

incense,

Application filed August 12, 1914.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Lun R. Sinn, citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of `exas, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Attachments for Bath-Tubs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wash cloth attachments for bath tubs and has as its primary object to provide a device of thischaracter which may be readily `engaged with the conventional form of bath tub te sup-` port a wash cloth or other cleaning element in such position within the tub that a person bathing may readily move the back and shoulders over the wash cloth or other cleaning element to effect a thorough cleansing thereof.

The invention has as a further object to provide a device of this character which will be simple in construction, which may be readily attached to or'detached from the bath tub, and which will adjustably support the, wash cloth or other cleaning element within the tub.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the wash cloth or other cleaning element may be readily attached thereto and held in operative position and wherein said cloth or other cleaning element may be disconnected with equal facility.

With these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then specifically pointed out in the claim which is attached to and forms a part of this application.

In the accompanying drawings z-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved attachment showing the device in operative position within a bath tub, the bath tub being conventionally illustrated and partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device particularly illustrating the means employed for engaging the wash cloth, Fig. 3 is a Jfragmentary detail sectional view particularly illustrating j the means employed for holding the sections of the supporting arm at adjustment upon each other, and Fig. l is a side elevation partly broken away and showing the attaching plate and the arrangement of the set screws thereon.

Corresponding and like parts are referred Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee0 23, 1915.

Serial No. 855,399.

to in the following description and indicated in all the vie-ws of the drawing by the same reference characters.

rlfhe present invention contemplates an` attachment which may be operatively applied to any conventional type of bath tub and so constructed as to adjustably support a wash cloth or other cleaning element within the tub in such position that a person bathing may move the back and shoulders over the cloth or other cleaning element to effect a thorough cleansing thereof and in Fig. 1 of the drawings, l have shown the attachment applied to a conventional form of bath tub, indicated at 10, the side wall of which is provided at itsupper margin with the terminal laterally disposed flange 11, the said flange, as usual, being transversely curved.

More particularly, my improved device includes an attaching plate 12, which may, generally speaking, be constructed of any desired fanciful configuration and which may be formed of any suitable material. However, the said plate is preferably formed of suitable metal and includes the transversely curved body portion 13 which is arranged to bear over the iange 11 to extend inwardly of the tub. Adjacent one side margin, the body portion 13 is bent to provide a longitudinally disposed flange 1a which extends laterally of the body portion 13 and is disposed to embrace the outer free edge of the flange 11 of the tub, as best illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Preferably, the flange 111 adjacent the body portion 13, extends at substantially right angles thereto, as shown at 15, and is then bent adjacent its outer extremity to extend inwardly upon one side of the body portion, as shown at 16. The free margin of the said flange 14 is again bent to extend upwardly toward Vthe body portion 13 as shown at 17, the said margin 17 being preferably arranged substantially parallel to the portion 15 of the fla-nge..

Arranged upon the margin 17 is a reinforcing strip 13 and formed in the said strip and in said margin are suitable longitudinally spaced screw threaded apertures which are disposed to receive the set screws 19, the shanks 2O of which engage within said apertures, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the attaching plate 12 is applied, the

thumb screws 19 are adjusted to engage against the inner face of the flange 11 of the tub adjacent the outer margin of saidiflange to draw the attaching plate 12 down tightly against the Lipper face thereof.

Hingedly connected to the inner margin of the plate 12 is a supporting rod 21. Vhile any suitable form of hinge may be used, still, 1 preferably employ a hinge including the members 22 and 23, which members are provided with suitable eyes to receive a pivotpin 24 which is disposed to detachably connect the said members. rThe member 22 may be secured to the plate 12 in any suitable manner while the adjacent extremity of the supporting rod 21 is preferably slotted to receive the member 23. By this construction, it will be observed that the supporting rod 21 may be readily detached from the attaching plate 12, when so desired, by removing the pivot pin 24.

The supporting rod 21 preferably includes the telescopic sections 25 and 26, the section 26 being adapted for movement at one extremity within the adjacent extremity of the section 25. r1`he supporting rod 21 is resilient and may be constructed of any suitable material, and while 1 have indicated that such rod is preferably tubular, still, it is to be understood that this is not absolutely necessary.

Mounted upon the section 25 of the supporting rod 21 adjacent the inner'extremity of the said section, is a catch member 27, the

said catch member being pivotally supported upon a suitable yoke or pintle 28 arranged to embrace the side faces of said section. As best shown 1n Fig. 1 of the drawings, the

catch member 27 is preferably disposedupon' the rear face of the section 25 of the supporting rod so as to be out of the way where it will not come in contact with the body of a person taking a bath, and at one extremity, said catch member is bent laterally, as shown at 29 to extend through a suitable aperture formed in the section 25, in the path of the adjacent extremity of the section 26. Arranged between the free extremity of the catch member 27 and the section 25, is a spring 30 which is maintained in position byA lugs 31 and 32, formed one on the extremity of the catch member 27 and the other upon the section 25, the said spring being disposed to normallv maintain the laterally extending l portion of the catch member projected to engage the adjacent extremity of the section 26.

Arranged within the inner extremity of the section 26 is a suitable core 33 and one side face of said section is provided with a series of longitudinally spaced notches 34,-

which extend into the said core 33, the said notches being each disposed to receive the inwardly turned portion 29 of the catch member 27. By this arrangement it will be observed that the sections 25 and 26 may be formed on the end of said section is a yoke 36 which is also preferably tubular and of the same character as the sections 25 and 26, the said yoke including the spaced arms 37. Rotatably mounted upon the arms 37 is a wash cloth engaging member or shaft 38.

r1`he shaft 38 is preferably knurled upon Vits outer face or is provided with other incisions such as would present a rough surface and arranged upon the said shaft is a series of longitudinally7 spaced pins 39 which are arranged to extend transversely through said shaft and are preferably pointed at their extremities to engage a wash cloth.

Adjacent its outer extremities, the shaft 38 is provided with annular enlargements 40V which are arranged exteriorly of the arms 37 of the yoke 36 to thus maintain the'shaft 38 in position thereon, and formed in said annular enlargements 40 are ratchet teeth 41 which are disposed for engagement with pawls 42 pivotally mounted upon theV arms 37, it being noted that the said pawls 42 are reversely disposed and are thus adapted to maintain the shaft 38 stationary at any point y in its turning movement.

1n use, it is intended that a wash cloth or bath towel shall preferably be folded upon itself and its ends engaged with the pins 39 carried by the shaft 38 when the shaft will be rotated to wind the Vwash cloth or bath towel thereon to form a substantially cylindrical roll, as. shown' in Fig. 1

of the drawings, the wash cloth or bath towel being conventionally illustrated at 43.V

To this end, the extremities of the shaft 38 are squared as shown at 44 for detachable engagement by a suitable crank 45. Aswill be clear, by attaching the crank 45 to either end of the shaft 38, the said shaft may be rotated to wind a wash cloth or bath towel thereon in the manner just above described. 1n this connection, it should be noted that after the wash cloth or bath towelV is so wound upon the shaft 38, the said shaft V will be held stationary by the pawls 42.

From the aboveV description, it will be seen that the supporting rod 21'may be swung upward upon the attaching plate 12 out of the bath tub when a wash cloth or other cleaning element may be readily connected with the shaft 38. Under normal conditions, it is designed that therod 21 when swung inwardly within the tub, will normally support the wash cloth 43 adjacent the bottom of the tub and inwardly spaced from the adjacent end thereof, or the said cloth may be caused to rest upon the bottom of the tub as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. It will thus be clear that a person bathing by lying face upward within the tub may readily grasp the upper edges of the tub with the hands to move the back and shoulders over the wash cloth 43 to effect a thorough cleansing of these parts. In this connection it will also be observed that the sections 25 and 26 of the supporting rod 21 may be adjusted upon each other by releasing the catch member 27 to adjust the wash cloth 43 vertically within the tub, as desired, and so that said wash cloth may be caused to assume a relative position within the tub according to the amount of water contained therein so as to be readily accessible. In any instance where the end of the bath tub to which it is desired to apply my improved device is arranged adjacent to a wall, so that the detachment of the attaching plate 12 would be diflicult, owing to the difliculty in gaining access to the set screws 19, it will be observed that the supporting rod 2l may be readily removed from the tub by removing the rod connecting the hinge sections Q2 and 23. This is a decided advantage since, under certain circumstances, the presence of the supporting rod 21 upon the tub, may not be desired.

Thile I have shown the cleaning 'element engaging member as including a shaft 38 upon which are mounted pins 39, still, it will be readily understood that my improved attachment is equally adapted to similarly support a suitable brush, or other type of cleaning element, and I therefore, do not wish to limit myself to the specific construction shown. However, in providing a wash cloth engaging member, it will be clear that said wash cloth or bath towel may be readily connected therewith to be wound upon itself into a suitable roll, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and this has been found to be a very advantageous construction, since it permits the use of individual wash cloths and thus allo-ws for the observation of all sanitary precautions.

It will thus be seen that I provide a very simple and efficient device for the purpose set forth which may be readily attached to or detached from the conventional type of bath tub and which is adapted to adjustably support a cleaning element within the bath tub.

It will further be seen that the device is so constructed that each individual using the tub may readily engage a wash cloth with the device to be so supported within the tub that the back and shoulders of the person lmay be readily brought into contact with the cloth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device of the character described including a yoke having spaced arms, a shaft rotatably mounted between said arms and provided with ratchets adjacent opposite extremities thereof, the shaft being adapted to have a wash cloth wound thereon and each end of the shaft being formed to receive a crank, reversely arranged pawls carried by said arms and normally engaging said ratchcts for holding the shaft against turning movement, a pin carried by the shaft and adapted to engage the cloth, and means for supporting theyol e.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.V

LEE R. SEIB. [Ls] itnesses JAMES II. ADAIR, A. C. LEOPOLD.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

